Dinner-pail



(No Model.)

1-1. B. ADAMS. DINNER PAIL.

No. 444,215. 1 Patented Jan. 6,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

HORACE B. ADAMS, OF OWEGO, NEW YORK.

DINNER-PAIL.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,215, dated January e, 1891.

Application filed J' uly 25, 1890. Serial No. 359,888- (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that l, HORACE B. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Owego, in the county of Tioga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dinner-Fails, of which the following is a specication.

Figure l of the drawings represents a side elevation of my improved dinner pail or bucket; Fig. 2, a transverse section thereof, taken on line a' z of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a top plan view of the lower one of the sections cornposing the pail or bucket, showing a portion of the drinking-cup in broken section; and Fig. 4, a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing more clearly the means employed for fastening the several sections together.

The present invention has relation to that class of lunch or dinner pails or buckets composed of separable and removable sections detachably connected together, so that either two or more or all of said sections may be readily used as circumstances require.

It is the object of the present invention therefore to provide a simple and effective means of fastening these sect-ions which compose the pail or bucket, whereby they are firmly held together and against being detached without first unfastening the cover or lid of the top section, also in the several details of construction whereby the pail or bucket is materially improved and also rendered more useful, practical, and serviceable as a portable receptable for containing cooked food and beverage-such as tea or coffeeand retain them in a palatable condition while being transported and until ready for consumption. These several objects I attain by the construction substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A B C D represent the four sections composing the pail or bucket, which may be of any suitable shape and size, and are preferably constructed of sheet metal. A less or greater number of these sections may be used, as found desirable, and the sections A B O have downwardlyextending flanges o, the iiange upon each section tting over the'upper edge of the section below it and restingupoua bead or shoulder l), thus forming a tight connection between the several sections. The upper one of these sections, as shown at A, is provided with a suitable cover E, and to this cover a bail or handle F is connected, which may be of any preferred and well-known construction. This cover is preferably hinged to the upper section, and is provided with a suitable hasp c, with which engages a staple d, connected to said upper section; or any other preferred and well-known means may be employed to lock or retain the cover closed. The lower section D, as will be seen, has a closed top G, through which is 'an opening, and around this opening is an upwardly-extending iiange c to form a support for a suitable drinking-cup H, which is placed in the section in an inverted position, as shown. The bottom f of the cup H is of greater diameter so that it will extend beyond the sides thereof, and has when the cup is in an inverted position a downwardly-extending iiange g, which overlaps the flange e and retains the cup in position.

The section D is for the purpose of containing ei'ther tea, coffee, or other like beverage, and the cup H in its inverted position forms a cover to close the opening in the top G of the section, and the flanges e g, hereinbefore described, not only hold the cup in its inverted position and stationary, but form a closed joint between the cup and top of the section.

The means for locking the several sections together are very simple and will be understood fromY the following description: Each one of the sections A B C is provided with a pivoted latch I, suitably connected to the interior wall of the sections, but in the present instance bya sleeve h soldered thereto. The latch I extends down through the bottom of the section, as shown, and its ends above and below the bottom of the section extend at right angles or substantially at right angles to form catches t' 7c above and below the bottom of the section, respectively. The vertical portion, together with the right-angled portions to form the catches, as described, I term, when taken together, a double 0r compound latch in contradistinction to a latch with a single catch only. The sections A B C have each a keeper K, with which engages IOO the latch as shown more clearly in `Fig, l, said keeper having a curved bearing Z and notch ni, the latter to form a seat for the latch to hold itin engagement with the keeper. The sections l5 C I) have keepers L extending substantially on aline with the keepers K, but at right angles thereto, se as to present its flat side to the latch 7.; to form a wider bearing-surface and render it more effect-ive for the purpose intended. These fastening devices, consisting of the latches and keepers, as above described, are wholly within the sections, and consequently no single one of the sections can be detached from the other without first unfastening and raising the cover of the upper section to obtain access to the interior thereof. This being done, the latch of the upper section is turned to bring it out of engagement with the keeper thereof, and also with the keeper on the section immediately below it, thereby releasing the upper section from its fastenings and admitting of its removal, so that access can be had to the interior of the section below it, which may be detached and removed in like manner. It will therefore be seen that each section must be removed in order to obtain access to the interior of the section below, as the fastening devices are in the interior of the sections i11- stead of upon the outside. Hence each seetion is protected by the other when they are connected together and the cover of the upper section securely fastened,

In connect-ing the sections together the section C is first connected to the bottom section D by placing it in position over the same, so that the flange d and shoulder b will abut, as shown in Figs. 2 and t. The latch of the upper section C is now turned in the proper direction to bring the catch 7.: in engagement with or under the keeper L, which projects from the inner wall of the bottom section. As this is being done, the catch e' is brought over the curved bearingl until it springs into the notch m of the keeper K, said keeper also acting as a lock for the upper one of the catches to prevent thelatch from accidentally turnin g in its pivotal bearing and becoming disengaged from its keepers. It is preferable that the latches be constructed of springwire, so as to have sufficient elasticity to have the upper catchthereof retained in engagement with the notch of the keeper and against accidental displacement, so as to provide both a simple and secure means of fastening the several sections together.

Previous to myinvention it 'as common to secure the separable sections together by fastenings connected to the outside of the pail or bucket, and also by aserew-coupling, the adjoining flanges of the sections having screw threads to engage with each other. The means above described in no way prevent the sections from being' disconnected from the outside of the pail or bucket by any malicious person andv access obtained to the interior thereof, the screw-fastening and other means heretofore employed affording no protection against the detaching of thc sections from the outside.

It should be understood that one of the essential features of the invention is disposing the fastenings for the several sections wholl y within the same, so that they are concealed from view and cannot therefore be tampered with from the outside, 11er can the several sections be disconnectedwithout first unfastening the cover at the top of the pail or bucket'. Therefore as this is the aim and purpose of' the invention it would not make any material difference as to anyspecial construction of the latches or fastenings used, although the fastenings shown I eonsiderthe most practicable and simple; but any wellknown and suitable form of latch may be used without affecting the principle of my invention. l therefore reserve the right to make such changes in the several parts of the pail or bucket as would come within ordinary mechanical skill, and any number of sections may be used, which may be of any size and shape found desirable.

Any well-known means may be employed for locking the cover closed, and anysuitablc bail or handle maybe connected thereto so long as it will serve the purpose intended, the several changes above enumerated not affecting in the least the essential principle of the invention.

The latches may be pivotally connected to the interior walls of the several sections in any desirable manner, and the catches and keepers hereinbefore described are susceptible of various modifications in the general details of construction so long as their purpose and action are not affected thereby.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-n l. A dinner pail or bucket consisting of a plurality of separable sections and means for securing them together, consisting of fastening devices which are wholly within the pail. or bucket and engaging projections upon the interior walls of said sections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In adinner pail orbucket, the combination, with a plurality of separable sections, of means for securing them together, consisting of fastening devices wholly within said pail or bucket, the fastening device of one section extending down through the bottom thereof and engaging with a projection upon the inner walls of the section below it, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a dinner pail or bucket, the combination, with a plurality of separable sections, of means for securing them together, consisting of fastening devices which are wholly within said pail or bucket, extending between adjacent sections thereof and engaging projections on the interior walls of both, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

fl- In a'pail or bucket, the combination, with IOO IIO.

a plurality of sections composing the same, of a plurality of fastening devices consisting of pivoted latches and keepers located within the sections and operating to lock or fasten the sections together, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. ln a pail or bucket composed of separable sections, the combination therewith of fastening devices for connecting said sections together, consisting of pivoted latches having catches at their upper and lower ends and located within the sections and engaging with keepers upon the interior walls of the sections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

(5. A pail or bucketcomposed of a plurality of separable sections detachably connected together, the lower one of said sections having a top with an opening and an upwardlyext-ending flange around the same, and a, drinking-cup having a hanged bottom and held within said opening, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

'7. In a pail or bucket, the combination, with the separable sections composing the same, of

fastening devices for connecting them together, consisting of pivoted latches extending down through the bottoms of said sections and having catches at its ends above and below the bottoms, and keepers with Which the catches engage, the latches and keepers being located wholly Within the sections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a pail or bucket, the combination, with the separable sections thereof, of fastening devices located wholly within said sections and consisting of pivoted latches extending through the bottoms thereof and having catches extending at an angle to the body or vertical portion ot the latch, and keepers with which the upper and lower catches of the latch engage, one of which has a notch to form a seat for the upper one of said catches, substantially as and for the purpose described.

HGRACE B. ADAMS.

Witnesses:

JAMES BURRoWs, ALFRED L. BOUGHTON. 

